Perry Perkins, candidate for Hamilton County Commission District 7, toured the Hamilton County Jail Thursday in order to get an in-depth understanding of the county's public safety programs.
The jail, located on Walnut Street, houses inmates and those awaiting county court hearings. As the state withdraws support for mental health and medical services, county correctional facilities are under growing pressure to provide those services themselves, said Mr. Perkins.
Mr. Perkins said he understands these issues and is poised to address public safety needs for citizens.
“The role of our inmate housing is changing, and this is something that directly affects the safety and well-being of our community,” he said. “As commissioner, I will continue to study these issues closely and do everything I can to make sure our facilities remain both responsible and secure.”
Mr. Perkins will run for the Republican nomination in the primary election on May 6. The current Commissioner for the district, Larry Henry, has said that he plans to vacate his seat to run for Circuit Court Clerk.
Mr. Perkins is a graduate of Tyner High School and a fourth-generation home painter. He began working in his grandfather's painting business in 1974, and in 2005 started his own residential painting business, Perry's Painting, Inc. Mr. Perkins served as a reserve deputy with Hamilton County from 1978-1982 and from 2006-2011 as well as with the city of East Ridge from 1982-1987. An active member of the Alhambra Shriners, Mr. Perkins has been an associate member of the board of the Shriners Children's Hospital in Lexington, Ky. since January 2010. He also works with the Hamilton Family YMCA and served as a board member from 2006-2008. From 1992-2004, he chaired the Fundraising and Activities board for the Fraternal Order of Eagles, helping raise money for the local Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program. Mr. Perkins resides in Apison with his wife, Monica. They attend Redemption Point Church.